The present invention relates to a method and system for providing parking availability information, and more particularly to a method and system for providing parking availability information to end users of a navigation system.
Vehicle navigation systems are available that provide end users with various navigation-related functions and features. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel along a road network from an origin location to a destination location in a geographic region. Using input from the end user, and optionally from equipment that can determine the end user's location (such as a GPS system), the navigation system can examine various potential routes between the origin and destination locations to determine the optimum route. The navigation system may then provide the end user with information about the optimum route in the form of guidance that identifies the driving maneuvers required to be taken by the end user to travel from the origin to the destination location. The guidance may take the form of visual and/or audio instructions that are provided along the way as the end user is traveling the route. Some navigation systems are able to show detailed maps on displays outlining the route, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the route, locations of certain types of features, and so on.
Furthermore, some navigation systems include receivers that receive data messages that contain up-to-the-minute reports of traffic and road condition information. These systems broadcast the data messages on a continuous, periodic, or frequently occurring basis. Receivers installed in vehicles that travel in the region receive the data messages. The receivers decode the data messages and make the information in the messages available to the vehicle drivers.
Although navigation systems provide many important features, there continues to be room for new features and improvements. One area in which there is room for improvement relates to providing information regarding parking availability. Providing parking availability information provides challenges. One way of providing parking availability information is to provide real-time parking availability information which indicates the current parking availability. However, real-time parking availability information has some limitations. For example, to provide real-time parking availability information requires frequent communications between the parking facility and a parking service provider. If the communications are lost or interrupted, the parking availability information is not available. Additionally, costly infrastructure must be built and maintained to gather and provide real-time parking availability information.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a new way to provide parking availability information.